


Everyone’s Got a Line to Walk

by HostileGlitch



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Disassociation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Mentions of canon-typical violence, Spoilers for Episode 87, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21701146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HostileGlitch/pseuds/HostileGlitch
Summary: After coming face to face with his past, Caleb and the rest of the nein make a decision.Aka my prediction for episode 88 in fic form.Title from “Tightrope” by The Score.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 105





	Everyone’s Got a Line to Walk

**Author's Note:**

> Dusted off the old writing muscles for this one. Something about this episode really inspired me.
> 
> If I’ve missed tagging anything, let me know. I still don’t know how this website works.

“Caleb?” Nott barely made a noise as she said it, looking at him from where she was sitting next to him. She wasn’t touching him except for occasionally when her ever-present fidgeting made her knee hit his. 

He didn’t respond, so Nott continued tentatively. “Caleb, what do we do?” 

They were sitting in familiar warm air of the hut. Caleb and Beau were slumped against each other, both humans just barely awake. Nott was on the other side of Caleb, worried about him beyond all measure, but knowing that touching him would probably overwhelm him more. Caduceus had a cup of tea in one hand and the other wrapped around Jester as the tiefling curled into his side. Fjord and Yasha, both with swords in hand, kept a watch, neither knowing what exactly they were watching for. 

“I need to leave.” Caleb muttered. 

Everyone was silent for a moment. All eyes were trained on Caleb. 

“That’s probably for the best.” Caduceus said, then backpedaled slightly as he saw the surprised looks on various faces. “I mean, this city has not been kind to us all. We should leave as soon as possible, return to...” he trailed off, hesitant to say “Xhorhas” without knowing who was listening. 

“I agree.” Fjord added. “We have too many eyes on us here.”

“I don’t mean us.” Caleb didn’t look up, just shifted slightly so his head rested on Beau’s shoulder. She didn’t protest, simply groaning slightly in pain. “I mean me. You all need to stay. At least for a bit.” 

“Why?” Caduceus asked. 

“We’re not in prison, but we’re not free citizens. If we all disappear, we become fugitives of the empire.” Caleb said. “You need to stay, play along. It’s the only hope you have.”

“Caleb, let me come with you?” Nott’s voice was laced with concern.

“Nein. If I go alone, they can’t track me. But if you come with me, little friend, then they can find us both.” Caleb sighed as he spoke. 

Beau spoke up for the first time since the dome had gone up. “He has a point Nott. We’re suspected of treason. If we run, it’s practically a confession. We need to stay and let this play out.”

Nott sighed. “I guess you’re right. But where will you go? To Essek?” 

“To our friend on the coast.” Caleb answered simply. “Not on either side of the war and tends to keep to himself.” 

“I don’t like this idea.” Jester shifted to better see Caleb. “You’ll be alone, Caleb.” 

“I have been before. But there is no other option. I cannot return to- to him.” Caleb muttered, voice dropping to barely more than a whisper, and Beau wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

Another beat of silence. 

“What would you do?” Fjord asked. 

Caleb shrugged, the motion making him wince. “Lay low.” He considered mentioning his other idea and decided that they would overrule it immediately. It wasn’t worth the fighting that it would bring. 

“But,” Jester had tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. “What about us? We need you.” 

“I’m no use to you dead.” Caleb said and Beau made a wordless noise of protest. “And that would be the best case scenario if he- if I end up under his control again.” 

“We would never let that happen.” Beau sat up a little straighter, Caleb lifted his head off of her to study her. Her voice held a surprising amount of confidence, for someone who had fallen so close to death, so many times in a single day. She was looking right at him, gaze threatening to bash him over the head with her message.

“You wouldn’t have a choice.” Caleb countered. “It’s the only option, and I’ll leave in the morning.” 

With that, Caleb pushed off of Beau’s shoulder and lay down on the soft wool rug that marked the center of this cottage’s living room. Nott immediately curled up at the small of his back, a boney— but comfortable— weight. He solidly ignored both Jester’s and Beau’s attempts to continue the argument as well as Caduceus’s soft insistence that he at least get out of his bloody clothes. 

He was asleep before he realized, drifting off to the soft voices of his friends as they began to discuss their plans. 

The next morning was greeted with a loud knock on the front door of the cottage. Yasha, Beau and Fjord were the first to react, jumping to their feet and holding weapons at the ready. Caleb scrambled to his feet, head swimming with lingering exhaustion. He had to grab Fjord’s arm to steady himself as he reached for his enchanted chalk in his coat pocket. 

“Mighty Nein? Your presence is required in the throne room. Be ready to leave in five minutes.” A firm voice called through the door. 

After a moment of silence to make sure the guard wasn’t coming in, everyone started scrambling for packs and weapons. 

“I’m leaving. Right now.” Caleb whispered to Beau. 

She looked like she wanted to protest for a minute before nodding and giving him a tense smile that came off more as a grimace. “Don’t die.” 

Caleb returned the smile, though he knew his was even less convincing that Beau’s. “I’ll try.” 

“Caleb, are you sure?” Nott asked, pulling at his coat sleeve. 

He nodded and she wordlessly wrapped him in a hug. With everyone else distracted with frantic preparations, Caleb ducked into one of the back bedrooms and started to quickly sketch the teleportation circle. After a minute, it flared. 

He hesitated. He was abandoning his friends to the whims of the Cerberus Assembly and the crown. Then he heard Ikithon’s voice, saying his name, his real name, in a tone that could only be described as smug. He couldn’t face that again, he wasn’t strong enough. 

He stepped into the circle. 

A moment later, he landed in Tidepeak tower, the familiar and welcome scent of the sea air filling his nose. 

“Master Yussa?” Caleb called out quietly. “Wensforth?” 

He was greeted by the soft sound of shoes on the staircase before Yussa opened the door, one eyebrow cocked in surprise. Caleb instantly remembered that he looked like shit, shirt and coat stained with blood, black ooze and ash. 

“I apologize for not notifying you ahead of time. As you can see, I came alone and I don’t possess the ability to send a message further than a hundred feet or so.” Caleb explained hastily. 

Yussa nodded, holding up a hand to stem his words. “No matter. What brings you here and where is your...” he seemed to search for a word. “Posse?” 

“We got split up, unfortunately. I don’t know exactly where they are, somewhere in the northern part of the Empire.” Caleb lied easily. The truth was not something that Caleb wanted to think about at that moment. Not to mention, it probably wasn’t something that Yussa would be to keen to hear. 

“Will they be arriving shortly as well?” Yussa asked. His voice was neutral and Caleb wished he knew how to maintain a level of professionalism like that. 

Caleb shook his head. “Let’s say we did not leave on the best of terms.”

“Ah,” Yussa turned to leave the teleportation room, motioning for Caleb to follow. Caleb did, climbing the stairs up to the familiar sight of Yussa’s workshop. “Still, what brings you to me?”

Caleb took a deep breath, the first one since landing in Rexxentrum the day before. “I was wondering if you wanted assistance navigating the Folding Halls of Halas.” 

**Author's Note:**

> On one hand, I believe that Caleb would be very willing to leave on his own right now. On the other hand though, I just want him to be happy with his family. ;-;


End file.
